Origins & Early Life

Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018) was an American author and journalist widely known for his association with New Journalism, a style of news writing and journalism developed in the 1960s and 1970s that incorporated literary techniques. Much of Wolfe's work is satirical and centers on the counterculture of the 1960s and issues related to class, social status, and the lifestyles of the economic and intellectual elites of New York City. Wolfe began his career as a regional newspaper reporter in the 1950s, achieving national prominence in the 1960s following the publication of such best-selling books as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (an account of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters) and two collections of articles and essays, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby and Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1979, he published the influential book The Right Stuff about the Mercury Seven astronauts, which was made into a 1983 film of the same name directed by Philip Kaufman. His first novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, published in 1987, was met with critical acclaim and also became a commercial success. Its adaptation as a motion picture of the...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Aretha Franklin — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): The "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin defined American music with unparalleled vocal power.
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Indian statesman and poet, served as Prime Minister of India multiple times.
• Balabhaskar — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering Indian violinist and composer known for promoting fusion music.
• Andrei Linde — Shared historical date (03-02 · Born) (1948): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for inflationary cosmology and the multiverse concept.
• Berthe Morisot — Shared historical date (03-02 · Died) (1895): Pioneering French painter and key figure among the Impressionists.
• August Strindberg — Shared historical date (05-14 · Died) (1912): Pioneering Swedish literary figure, playwright, and essayist of the late 19th century.
• B. B. King — Shared historical date (05-14 · Died) (2015): Pioneering electric blues master, nicknamed 'The King of the Blues'.
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